Vietnamese’s first Buddhist cultural centre in Czech Republic opens

Update: 14:53 | 07/01/2019

A pagoda of Vietnamese people in Most city of Ustecky region, the Czech Republic, was inaugurated on January 5, becoming the community’s first spiritual cultural centre officially recognised by local authorities.

Head of the pagoda Venerable Thich Thong Dat said the inauguration of the pagoda is an honour of expatriate Buddhists in the Czech Republic. It is not only a place of worship but also helps uphold the traditional culture and the use of the Vietnamese language in the community, he said.

The ceremony to inaugurate Most Pagoda of Vietnamese people in Most city on January 5.

On behalf of Ustecky region’s administration, chairman of the region’s council for ethnic minorities Pavel Vodsedalek presented a certificate recognising the Buddhist cultural centre of Most Pagoda.

He said among local ethnic minority groups, the Vietnamese community have carried out many activities to preserve and introduce their diverse culture.

The newly-inaugurated pagoda will help enhance the community’s solidarity, pass down cultural values to younger generations, and popularise the Vietnamese culture to Czech people, he added.

In his speech, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ho Minh Tuan thanked Ustecky authorities for supporting the Vietnamese community to uphold the traditional culture and integrate into the local society.

It was an honour for Vietnamese people in the Czech Republic as Most pagoda was recognised by local authorities, he said, expressing his hope that it will help strengthen solidarity in the community and preserve the traditional culture of Vietnam.

In 2013, the Czech Republic recognised the Vietnamese community as one of its ethnic minority groups.